How was the Grand Canyon Formed?

            The Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, is a natural wonder of the world. It is famous all over for its colorful rocks ad majestic spectacle. At certain points, it appears like a magic city of rocks, with temples, towers and castles of dazzling colors. Do you know how this great wonder was formed?

Grand Canyon

            The Grand Canyon was formed by the continuous erosion of the Colorado River valley. The mighty force of Colorado River cut out this great gorge over thousands of years ago. Even now, year after year, the rushing waters of the Colorado River continue to cut deeper into the bottom of the gorge. This is the deepest gorge in the world.

            The Grand Canyon is about 347.2 kilometers long, and extends up to 20 kilometers wide and its depth is 2 kilometers at places.

            For years, the Colorado River has slowly cut through the high plateaus of northern Arizona, exposing strata of earth that are millions of years old. These strata re of great interest to geologists, because they offer an insight into a long stretch of earth’s history.

            At the bottom of the canyon, where the Colorado River flows, is an ancient Precambrian rock that contains fossils of primitive algae. The fossils of dinosaurs, elephants, trees and other organisms of those times are found in the higher strata. The most recent rocks occur at the top of the canyon. The chain of links of the fossils provides an idea about the evolutionary process.

            Each year, more than 2 million tourists visit the grand canon to see this wonderful place. In 1919, the United States government created the grand canon national park, to preserve the wealth of the plant and animal life that has become a part of this unique environment.